Traveling-flat carding-engine.



PATENTED. APR. 28. 1903. W. BATTEN & W. HAYES. TRAVELING PLAT GARDING ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1903.

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'WILLIAIVI BATTEN AND WILLIAM HAYES, OF AUBURN, MAINE.

THAVELlNG FL/AT CARDING ENGlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,496, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed February 27, 1903. Serial No. 145,345. (N model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM BATTEN and WILLIAM HAYES, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Traveling-Flat Carding-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has relation to traveling-flat or revolving-flat carding-engines.

The general object of the invention is to facilitate the production of even and strong yarns when such cardingengines are employed to effect the carding operation, and thereby aid in the making of fine yarns by reason of more thoroughly cleaning the stock. The more thorough cleaning is accomplished by us by taking out a larger proportion of the short fiber and dirt than heretofore in carding-engines of the class in question and by delivering the stock, with its fibers, straighter and in better parallelism than heretofore.

We have illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawings, in which latter we have represented the parts to which our improvement more immediately relates, to-- gether with such portions of a traveling-flat cardingengine as will aid in rendering clear the nature and relations of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a portion of a traveling-flat carding-engine having an embodiment of the invention applied thereto. the cover-plate, to which reference is made hereinafter, and portions of the flexible bends. Fig. 3 shows in side elevation one of the holding-down brackets or guides for the flats. Fig. 4 shows in end elevation the bracket or guide of Fig. 3.

Having reference to the drawings, the main cylinder of a traveling-flat carding-engine is indicated at 1, the licker-in or leader-in at 2, portion of the (letter at 3, and the traveling flats at I. The sheaves around which the traveling flats change the direction of their movement at the opposite ends of their travel around the periphery of the main cylinder 1 are indicated at '5 5.

At 6 is shown one of the intermediate sheaves for supporting the upper length of the chain of traveling flats as it returns above Fig. 2 shows in isometric the main cylinder from the doffer end of the carding-engine toward the licker-in end. The main arch at one side of the carding-engine is shown at 7, the flexible bend at 8, and at 9 is represented a bracket at or adjacent the middle of the length of the flexible bend, mounted on the main arch and supporting in usual manner the flexible bend and the sheave 6.

All of the foregoing parts are or may be as heretofore, with the exception of bracket 9, which latter we modify in form somewhat in order to adapt it to the purposes of our invention.

In the case of traveling-flat carding-engines now in use the stripping or cleaning of the flats is effected by means of the usual stripping-combat 10 after the flats have left the flexible bends at a point adjacent the doffer 3 to return over the carding-engine to the point adjacent the licker-in 2, at which the flats resume working relations with the main cylinder. However, from the latter point to the pointadjacent the doffer at which they leave the flexible bends to return over the top of the carding-engine the flats are not cleaned or stripped. The carding action between the main cylinder and the flats is most efficient adjacent the licker-in in consequence of the flats being in a clean state when they first return to the flexible bends; but as the flats move onward toward the doffer the teeth of the card-clothing on the flats fill up with dirt and short fibers and the efficiency becomes less. As a result the carding action during the latter half of the travel of the flats upon the flexible bends is much less than during the first half of such travel.

The present invention consists in general in providing supplemental or additional stripping devices which are located at an intermediate point between the licker-in and the doffer and by means of which the flats after having performed a part of their travel in working relations with the main cylinder are stripped or cleaned, so that during the remaining portion of their travel upon the flexible bends they are enabled to act as thoroughly and efficiently in carding as after first returning to the cylinder adjacent the licker-in.

In carrying the invention into effect we arrange supplemental bends or bridges, as at 11, Fig. 1, at an intermediate point in the travel of the flats around the periphery ofover the supplemental bends or bridges 11.

One of the said holding-down brackets or guides is shown detached in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Its main plate or web 121 lies against the outer face of the flexible bend and is held thereto by the bolt 129. The stem of the said bolt passes through the longitudinal slot 122'in said main plate or web, and the said slot permits of radial adjustment of the bracket or guide upon the flexible bend. The inner end of the bracket or guide 12 is furnished with an inturned lip or flange 123, passing in beneath the lower edge of the flexible bend. In said lip or flange are tapped holes receiving the threaded stemsof ad 3 ustin g-screws 124 124. The outer ends of the said adjusting-screws take against the inner edge of the flexible bend, and the adjustment of the screws determines the radial position of the bracket or guide 12. The outer part of the latter has a laterally-projecting portion or shoe 125, which extends above the path of the ends of the flats and by engagement with the backs of such ends holds the shoes of the lat-- ter down to the flexible bends. The periphery of the main cylinder between the point at which the flats are uplifted from the same in order to pass around the supplemental bends or bridges and the point at which they are again returned to working relations with the main cylinder is inclosed by a cover-plate 13. The said cover-plate is shown separately in Fig. 2. It has knife-edges 131 131, which enter into the angles between the flats and the main cylinder at the points referred to. Brackets 132 132 are fastened to the ends of plate 13. Screws 133 133 project radially outward from the flexible bends. They are received in holes 134 134, made through the said brackets. Nuts 135 135 are applied to the said screws above and below the brackets and serve for adjusting the said cover-plate 13 radially relative to the periphery of the main cylinder. In the space between the uplifted portion of the chain of flats and the coverplate 13 stripping or cleaning devices to act upon the uplifted flats are located. Any stripping or cleaning devices suitable for the purpose may be employed. In the present embodiment of the invention we have provided a stripping-comb 14 on the order of that at 10. The said comb 14 has longitudinally-slotted arms 141, which are adjustably secured, as by bolts 142, to longitudinallyslotted arms 143 upon a rock-shaft 144. The said rock-shaft is mounted in suitable bearings, which herein are provided upon the middle brackets 9. The actuation of the said comb 14 is provided for in any convenient manner. Herein we have shown the rockshaft 144 furnished with a depending arm 145, which is connected by a rod 146 with the arm 103, fast upon the rock-shaft 102, provided with the arms 101,which carry the usual stripping-comb 10.

At 104 is the usual rotating eccentric or cam engaging with arm 103 to actuate comb 10. Through the connections described the comb 14 is actuated from eccentric or cam 104.

The outer portion of the middle bracket 9 is constructed in the form of an open arch, as shown, 'for the purpose of permitting inspection of the flats as they pass over the supplemental bends or bridges 11 and of the stripping device, and also for the purpose of enabling access to be had to the said flats and t0 the stripping devices, as for the purpose of adjusting, removing strippings, and the like.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a traveling-flat carding-engine, in combination, the cylinder, a series of traveling flats, means to cause the said flats to travel in working relations with the card-clothed periphery of the cylinder around a portion of the circumference of the said cylinder, means to expose the card-clothed faces of the flats temporarily in position to be cleaned at an intermediate point in the said travel, and a stripping device which acts upon the flats while thus exposed at the said point, substantially as described.

2. In a traveling-flat carding-engine,in combination, the cylinder, a series of traveling flats, means to cause the said flats to travel in working relations with the card-clothed periphery of the cylinder around a portion of the circumference of the said cylinder, relatively elevated guides to separate the card-clothed faces of the flats temporarily from the card-clothed surface of the said cylinder, and a cleaning device for the flats located in'the space or opening thus produced between the flats and the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a traveling-flat carding-engine,in combination, the cylinder, a series of traveling flats, means to cause the said flats to travel in working relations with the card-clothed periphery of the cylinder around a portion of the circumference of the said cylinder, relatively elevated guides to separate the card-clothed faces of the flats temporarily from the card-clothed surface of the said cylinder, a cleaning device for the flats located in the space or opening thus produced between the flats and the cylinder, and a coverplate closing the gap produced by thus sepabends 0r bridges, the holddown brackets or.

guides, adjacent said supplemental bends 0r bridges, and the cleaning device to act on the flats While separated by said bends or bridges from the cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In a traveling-flat carding-engine,in combination, the cylinder, a series of traveling flats, the flexible bends, the supplemental bends or bridges, the holddown brackets or guides adjacent said supplemental bends 0r bridges, a cover-plate fitting the periphery of the cylinder adjacent the said bends or bridges, and the cleaning device to act on the flats While separated by said bends or bridges from the cylinder, substantially as described.

7. In a traveling-flat carding-engine,in combination, the cylinder, a series of traveling flats, means to conduct the said series in Working relations with the periphery of the cylinder around a portion of the circumference of the latter, the stripping device to clean the flats at the completion of their circuit, the bends or bridges by which the cardclothed faces of the flats temporarily are separated from the card-clothed periphery of the cylinder at an intermediate point in the circuit, the supplemental stripping device to act on the flats While thus temporarily separated, and means to actuate both said stripping devices in common, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We afflx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BATTEN. WILLIAM HAYES.

Witnesses:

GHAs. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND. 

